So, we know all the players Pat has coached/taught. Who taught Pat?

Nadine Gearin, the former head coach from The University of Tennessee at Martin who guided the playing career of Pat Head Summitt, died yesterday afternoon at the VanAyer Nursing Home in Martin after a long illness. She was 73.

Gearin was the first head coach of women's basketball team UT-Martin and guided Lady Pacers basketball team from 1969-78. One of Gearin's outstanding players was Head Summitt (1971-74) who went on to become the all-time winningest basketball coach in NCAA history while leading the University of Tennessee in Knoxville to a 1,005-193 record in 35 seasons.

"Nadine Gearin was so much more than a coach to me," said Summitt. "She was a great friend who taught me so many things including how important it was to keep life-long ties to your teammates. I learned by her example and that is one of the reasons why Lady Vol basketball is such a great family today."

From Newscoma:

To know Coach Gearin, you have to understand that she was a tough coach who led the Lady Pacers (now the Women’s Skyhawks) during a time before Title IX. It was different world back in the 70 and the late 60s.

You see, Nadine broke barriers. And the pebble that she threw in the water created an eventual tsunami with a woman who would become the coach in college history with more wins than you could shake a stick at.

And Nadine fueled that fire within Summitt nearly 40 years ago.